Apparatus for the detachable fastening of cleaning implements

ABSTRACT

The invention is an apparatus for the detachable fastening of cleaning implements, such as brooms, scrubbing brushes or the like to a stick or handle. The stick is provided at its end with two fork-shaped, resilient arms, which can be fixed in bores of the cleaning implement with the aid of a fixing device. The fixing device comprises a handle, an operating element located between the arms and contact faces which engage the arms and spread the arms outwardly or draw the arms inwardly by rotation or displacement. The contact faces of the operating element are constructed on rotary bearing parts, preferably bearing rollers or rolls, which roll on the arms during the adjusting movement of the operating element.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an apparatus for the detachable fastening ofcleaning implements, such as brooms, scrubbing brushes, etc. to a stickor handle, which at its end has two fork-shaped, resilient arms, whichcan be fixed by means of a fixing device in bores of the cleaningimplement, the fixing device having a handle and an operating elementpositioned between the arms and which is in engagement with the armswith contact faces which spreads the element outwards or inwards byrotation or displacement.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Numerous handle or stick fastenings are known, which allow a simple andrapid replacement of worn or spent cleaning implements or an interchangebetween different cleaning implements. DE 2,606,400 C2 describes a stickfastening, in which a toggle body is positioned between the fork-shaped,resilient arms and is mounted in a rotary manner. To the toggle body isconnected a handle enabling the user to rotate the toggle body. Thetoggle body is in engagement with the inside of the arms with contactfaces. The contact faces are so shaped that the arms are spread outwardson rotating the toggle body, which leads to a fixing to the cleaningimplement. If the toggle body is rotated back, as a result of theirresilience the arms can return to their inwardly drawn position.

It has been found that although with the known stick fastening untrainedpersons can interchange or replace the cleaning implement in simple andrapid manner, there is a risk that over a period of time dirt and dustcan collect between the contact faces of the toggle body and thecorresponding faces of the arms, so as to significantly increase thefriction between these two components, so that relatively high forcesmust be expended in order to rotate the toggle body and consequently fixthe arms. This can make it much more difficult or impossible to use thestick fastening for persons having only limited physical strength.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides an apparatus of the aforementioned type in which,even after a long period of time, an easy adjustability is ensured.

In the case of an apparatus for the detachable fastening of cleaningimplements, the invention solves the problem of the prior art in thatthe contact faces of the operating element are constructed on rotarybearing parts, which roll on the arms during the adjusting movement ofthe operating element.

Thus, according to the invention, the sliding movement occurring in theknown construction between the operating element, which is preferably atoggle body fitted to the handle or connected in one piece thereto, andthe arms or the resulting sliding friction is replaced by a rollingmovement or a rolling friction. It has been found that in this way theuser has to apply 30 to 40% lower operating forces for the purpose ofadjusting the toggle body and for fixing the arms.

If during the course of time dirt or dust should collect on the rotatingbearing parts, which are preferably bearing rollers or rolls, or if thesurfaces of the normally metallic arms should corrode, then the rollingbehaviour tends to improve, because sliding effects of the bearing partsare avoided. This can also be brought about by roughening the surfacesof the bearing parts and/or the arms.

A good guidance of the arms on the toggle body during the adjustingmovement can be ensured by forming on the surface of the bearing partsan all-round depression in which the arms roll.

The bearing parts are preferably mounted in rotary manner on the togglebody, which can be achieved by subsequent fitting, e.g. the cushioningof the bearing parts in the toggle body. However, it is also possible tomake the toggle body and the bearing parts from different plastics in atwo-component injection moulding process and a single operation, so thatseparate fitting is rendered unnecessary. The toggle body and thebearing parts should be made from different plastics having a limitedmutual friction, so that there is only a limited bearing frictionbetween the components.

If the bearing parts are bearing rollers or rolls, preferably therotation axis of the bearing rollers or rolls should be perpendicular tothe spreading apart direction of the arms.

According to a preferred development of the invention at least tworotary bearing parts are provided, whereof in each case one engages oneach arm. The two bearing parts are e.g. arranged in diametricallyfacing manner with respect to the fulcrum of the toggle body and atleast engage with the arms over a considerable part of the pivotingrange of the toggle body. If the bearing parts, i.e. the bearing rollersor rolls come free from the arms immediately prior to reaching theinwardly drawn position, then on the toggle body should be provided atleast two crossbars with bearing faces, which keep the arms spaced intheir inwardly drawn state. This leads to a uniform, troublefreepivoting movement, because the toggle body during pivoting is guided inall positions.

According to a further development of the invention on the bearing partsare made externally visible markings, so that the user can establishduring the pivoting movement whether or not the bearing parts arerolling on the arms and, if necessary, can eliminate any impediment tothe bearing parts. Preferably the markings should be made on the frontface of the bearing rollers or rolls.

Further details and features of the invention can be gathered from thefollowing description of an embodiment with reference to the attacheddrawings, wherein show:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view of a cleaning implement with a fitted stick.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the fixing device.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along line III--III in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line IV in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view along line V--V in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 illustrates the arms with the fixing device in the inwardly drawnstate.

FIG. 7 is an intermediate position of the invention during the pivotingmovement.

FIG. 8 illustrates the arms with the fixing device in the spread apartstate.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The stick or handle 1 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a tube or tubularportion 2, on whose lower end are fitted two roughly parallel,fork-shaped arms 3 and 4, which in the embodiment have outwardly offsetlegs 6 and 7 and connected thereto bent ends 8 and 9. The arms 3 and 4are inserted with their bent ends 8 and 9 in bores 32 and 33, which canbe introduced into a bristle body 31 of a cleaning implement 30 in theform of a broom.

Between the arms 3 and 4 is inserted a fixing device 10, which has thehandle in the form of an elongated grip 13. The fixing device 10 isshown in detail in FIGS. 2 to 5.

The fixing device 10 comprises a toggle body 17, which is bounded on itsunderside by a one-piece, lower disk 12 and on its top side by aone-piece, upper disk 11. The upper disk 11 has an elongated shapecompared with the lower disk serving as a base for the grip 13, runningperpendicular thereto and which is in one piece with the upper disk 11.On the surfaces of the grip 13 are formed longitudinally directedprotuberances 14, which are intended to improve the gripping action ofthe grip. The front, triangular portion 13a of the grip 13 serves as athumb support, so that for the same expended force the torque isincreased and operation can be facilitated.

Between the lower disk 12 and the upper disk 11 the arms 3 and 4 areinserted, which are consequently guided between them. In twothrough-bores diametrically facing with respect to the longitudinal axisL and located in the upper and lower disks 11 and 12 respectively arerespectively cushioned bearing rollers 20 and 21, which are held inrotary manner in the through-bores. As shown in FIG. 5, on theircircumferential surface the bearing rollers 20 and 21 have in each casean all-round depression 20a and 21a, in which engage and are guided thearms 3 and 4. The toggle body 17 and bearing rollers 20 and 21 are madefrom different plastics with a limited mutual friction, so that an easyrotary movement of the bearing rollers 20 and 21 in the toggle body 17is ensured.

As is in particular shown by FIG. 3, on the toggle body perpendicular tothe connecting line between the bearing rollers 20 and 21, i.e. in thedirection of the longitudinal axis 11, there are two crossbars 15 and 16pointing in opposite directions, which at their end have in each case abearing surface 15a and 16a. The bearing surfaces 15a and 16a are nearerthe toggle body fulcrum D than the outer faces of the bearing rollers 20and 21.

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 show the individual phases of the fixing movement ofthe arms 3 and 4. In the position shown in FIG. 6 the arms 3 and 4 arein their inwardly drawn position, in which they can be inserted in thebores 32 and 33 of the bristle body 1. The bearing rollers 20 and 21 andthe crossbars 15 and 16 are received between outwardly curved offsets 5of the arms 3 and 4, the arms 3 and 4 engaging on the bearing surfaces15a and 16a of the crossbars 15 and 16. By rotating the grip or thetoggle body 17 in the direction of the arrow P, the bearing rollers 20and 21 engage with the inside of the curved offsets 5 of the arms 3 and4, whereas the bearing surfaces 15a and 16a of the crossbars 15 and 16come free from the arms 3 and 4. As the distance between the outer facesof the bearing rollers 20 and 21 is greater than the distance betweenthe bearing faces 15a and 16a of the crossbars 15 and 16 the arms 3 and4 are spread apart during the rotation of the toggle body 17, as isapparent from the intermediate position shown in FIG. 7. During theadjusting movement the bearing rollers 20 and 21 roll on the arms 3 and4, so that only limited friction occurs.

In FIG. 8 is reached the furthest spread apart state of the arms 3 and4, the two bearing rollers 20 and 21 being substantially perpendicularto the longitudinal direction of the arms 3 and 4 and define theirmutual spacing. By means of a projection 18 shaped onto the upper disk11 and which can snap between the arms 3 and 4, an unintentionaladjustment from this spread apart fixed position is prevented.

To release the arms 3 and 4 from their engagement with the cleaningimplement, the toggle body 17 is turned back from the position shown inFIG. 8 into the position shown in FIG. 6, the arms 3 and 4, due to theirresilience, remaining in constant engagement with the bearing rollers20, 21 or the bearing surfaces 15a, 16a of the crossbars 15, 16.

I claim:
 1. An apparatus for detachable fastening of cleaning implementscomprising:a handle having two fork-shaped resilient arms, a fixingdevice for fixing the two resilient arms in bores in the cleaningimplements, the fixing device having a handle, a one-piece toggle bodycoupled to the handle positioned between the arms, and contact faceswhich engage the arms by spreading the two resilient arms outwardly ordrawing the two resilient arms inwardly by rotation or displacement, thecontact faces being formed on at least two rotary bearing parts mountedon the toggle body which, during an adjusting movement of the one-piecetoggle body, rolls on the arms with at least one rotary bearing partengaging each arm.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the atleast two rotary bearing parts are either cushioned in or are injectionmolded on the toggle body.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, whereinsurfaces of at least one of the at least two rotary bearing parts andthe arms are roughened.
 4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein asurface of the at least two rotary bearing parts includes acircumferential depression as a guide for the arms.
 5. An apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the toggle body and the at least tworotary bearing parts are made from different plastics having a mutualfriction therebetween which permits relative movement.
 6. An apparatusaccording to claim 1 wherein markings, visible to a user, are applied tothe at least two rotary bearing parts.
 7. An apparatus according toclaim 2, wherein the at least two rotary bearing parts are eitherbearing rollers or rolls.
 8. An apparatus according to claim 2, whereinthe toggle body has at least two crossbars respectively having a contactface which maintains one of the arms in an inwardly drawn state.
 9. Anapparatus according to claim 2, wherein surfaces of at least one of theat least two rotary bearing parts and the arms are roughened.
 10. Anapparatus according to claim 2, wherein a surface of the at least tworotary bearing parts includes a circumferential depression as a guidefor the arms.
 11. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the togglebody and the at least two rotary bearing parts are made from differentplastics having a mutual friction therebetween which permits relativemovement.
 12. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein markings,visible to a user, are applied to the at least two bearing parts.
 13. Anapparatus according to claim 7, a rotational axis of the bearing rollersor rolls is perpendicular to a spreading apart direction of the arms.14. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the toggle body has atleast two crossbars respectively having a contact face which maintainsone of the arms in an inwardly drawn state.
 15. An apparatus accordingto claim 7, wherein surfaces of at least one of the at least two rotarybearing parts and the arms are roughened.
 16. An apparatus according toclaim 7, wherein a surface of the at least two rotary bearing partsincludes a circumferential depression as a guide for the arms.
 17. Anapparatus according to claim 7, wherein the toggle body and the at leasttwo rotary bearing parts are made from different plastics having amutual friction therebetween which permits relative movement.
 18. Anapparatus according to claim 7 wherein markings, visible to a user, areapplied to the at least two bearing parts.
 19. An apparatus according toclaim 13, wherein the toggle body has at least two crossbarsrespectively having a contact face which maintains one of the arms in aninwardly drawn state.
 20. An apparatus according to claim 13, whereinsurfaces of at least one of the at least two rotary bearing parts andthe arms are roughened.